Inflation in Nigeria has eased significantly from the highs of 2024, signaling improving macroeconomic stability. However, many households continue to feel pressure from high costs of food, transport, and housing. While economic indicators suggest progress, everyday living conditions remain difficult for a large portion of the population.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Video - Nigeria inflation eases but cost pressures remain
Inflation in Nigeria has eased significantly from the highs of 2024, signaling improving macroeconomic stability. However, many households continue to feel pressure from high costs of food, transport, and housing. While economic indicators suggest progress, everyday living conditions remain difficult for a large portion of the population.
Video - Nigeria sees surge in foreign investment inflows
Nigeria has recorded a sharp rise in foreign investment, attracting more than 10 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2026. This represents nearly double the inflows seen in the same period last year, driven by recent economic reforms such as currency liberalization and fuel subsidy removal. Despite the strong figures, some analysts caution that broader economic challenges remain.
Nigerian government to launch free digital television for residents
The federal government has announced that it will launch FreeTV, a national digital television platform, on Wednesday.
This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Presidency Nigeria X page on Tuesday night.
The FG said the platform will give households across the country access to free digital television, more channels, clearer pictures, and Nigerian content without monthly subscription fees.
Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, said the launch marked another important step in delivering President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the agenda prioritised inclusion, access to opportunity, job creation, local enterprise, and the use of technology to improve everyday life for Nigerians.
He said: “FreeTV is part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over programme and is designed to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind as the country moves fully from analogue to digital broadcasting.
“Through the platform, Nigerians will have access to over 100 national, regional and state channels, including news, sports, movies, music, children’s programmes, educational content, and dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels.”
This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Presidency Nigeria X page on Tuesday night.
The FG said the platform will give households across the country access to free digital television, more channels, clearer pictures, and Nigerian content without monthly subscription fees.
Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, said the launch marked another important step in delivering President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the agenda prioritised inclusion, access to opportunity, job creation, local enterprise, and the use of technology to improve everyday life for Nigerians.
He said: “FreeTV is part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over programme and is designed to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind as the country moves fully from analogue to digital broadcasting.
“Through the platform, Nigerians will have access to over 100 national, regional and state channels, including news, sports, movies, music, children’s programmes, educational content, and dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels.”
Service
Additionally, Mr Ebuebu said FreeTVservice will reach viewers via satellite, terrestrial transmission and the FreeTV mobile app.
He said citizens in major cities, towns, rural communities and areas left out of earlier DSO pilot phases would all have access to it.
“Nigerians do not need to buy a new television to watch FreeTV. Existing televisions can work with compatible OVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, and those who already have compatible free-to-air decoders may not need to buy a new one.
“Free TV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy. With Free TV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs,” he said.
Creative economy
Furthermore, Mr Ebuebu said the platform will also support Nigeria’s creative and broadcast economy.
He said this will happen through regional production studios in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin.
According to him, it will create new opportunities for content producers, technicians, editors, camera operators, sound engineers and young creatives.
“The final analogue switch-off remains scheduled for 31 December 2028, and Nigerians are encouraged to begin preparing by checking their decoder compatibility and downloading the FreeTV app.”
Additionally, Mr Ebuebu said FreeTVservice will reach viewers via satellite, terrestrial transmission and the FreeTV mobile app.
He said citizens in major cities, towns, rural communities and areas left out of earlier DSO pilot phases would all have access to it.
“Nigerians do not need to buy a new television to watch FreeTV. Existing televisions can work with compatible OVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, and those who already have compatible free-to-air decoders may not need to buy a new one.
“Free TV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy. With Free TV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs,” he said.
Creative economy
Furthermore, Mr Ebuebu said the platform will also support Nigeria’s creative and broadcast economy.
He said this will happen through regional production studios in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin.
According to him, it will create new opportunities for content producers, technicians, editors, camera operators, sound engineers and young creatives.
“The final analogue switch-off remains scheduled for 31 December 2028, and Nigerians are encouraged to begin preparing by checking their decoder compatibility and downloading the FreeTV app.”
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
The bat that weighs the same as a teaspoon of salt – and the biologist who rediscovered it
Just after sunrise, a cacophony of whoops and chatter can be heard over the verdant forests of the Afi mountain wildlife sanctuary. Nestled within the Cross River rainforest in south-east Nigeria, and spanning an area about the size of central Paris, the steep sanctuary is a haven for endangered gorillas, drill monkeys, the grey-necked rockfowl – and the short-tailed roundleaf bat.
The Nigerian biologist Iroro Tanshi remembers the moment she first spotted the endangered bat in 2016, during a field expedition for her PhD research. “We were trapping near a roost that night, so we caught a lot of bats,” says Tanshi. But, she adds: “This looked very, very different. Big-eared.” She promptly turned to her identification guide, which revealed that the tiny furry creature she was holding between her fingers was Hipposideros curtus, better known as the short-tailed roundleaf bat, last recorded in the wild in the 1970s.
“That was the moment that changed everything. Actually, there was the catching and the moment of realisation, like: ‘Oh my gosh,’” she says of her breakthrough.
Spurred by this discovery, Tanshi and her small crew of local assistants set up harp traps and mist nets, tracking the cave networks within the Afi sanctuary and the nearby Cross River national park. During their gruelling survey, they found 15 more of the bat species.
The short-tailed roundleaf bat weighs about the same as a level teaspoonful of salt. Unlike large fruit bats, it has relatively small eyes and a large intricately folded nose, which helps it to navigate total darkness through echolocation. It is extraordinarily sensitive to noise and bright lights, so Tanshi typically uses red light during her field research.
“You put it on for a short time and turn it off again to kind of see your way or see the bat that’s hanging there,” she says.
For decades, the species was believed to exist only within specific forest caves in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Thanks to human activities such as deforestation and hunting, all previously documented roosts had been erased by the 2010s. Scientists feared that the species had quietly gone extinct – until Tanshi’s all-important discovery. The small colony she rediscovered around the Afi sanctuary is the only confirmed population of the endangered bat still actively roosting.
However, having rediscovered the bat, Tanshi noticed that most of the attention in the sanctuary went to primates and other large animals, which local people treated with respect.
“People were very familiar with the need to protect nature and conserve these animals,” Tanshi says. “You couldn’t kill those animals in the village without getting reported. But everything else was up for grabs. Regardless of the fact that we were in a protected area, bats were still heavily hunted.”
Historically, bats have been burdened by negative stereotypes, commonly linked to witchcraft and bad omens. Their association with health emergencies, including the Ebola outbreak and Covid, has not helped. “Bats can’t catch a break, sadly,” says Tanshi, who describes the cultural perception of bats in Nigeria as a “complex scenario”. Amid the broader cultural aversion, some Nigerian communities treat the bats as food.
In Abia, a remote village 70km (45 miles) from the Afi sanctuary, the straw-coloured fruit bat is regarded as “normal bushmeat for us, like fish and chicken in other places”, says one villager, Judith Ojong, adding that bats for meat are typically sold in fours for 5,000 naira (about £2.70).
In response, Tanshi, along with Benneth Obitte, another bat specialist, set up the Small Mammal Conservation Organisation (Smacon) in 2016 to champion bats, rodents and other little creatures. The next year they launched the Zero Wildfire Campaign, to combat the destructive blazes that pose another threat to bats.
As part of the campaign, Tanshi and the team at Smacon designed colour-coded alert systems to guide farmers on safe bush burning. To supervise farmers during burning and provide a swift response in the event of an outbreak, Tanshi also formed a group called Forest Guardians. The incidence of wildfires within the forest area has plummeted in the past five years, she says.
In April, Tanshi became one of only six women globally to receive a Goldman environmental award, in recognition of her successful wildfire campaign around the Afi mountain wildlife sanctuary. She was also recently named a National Geographic explorer and has won a Whitley award.
A decade after finding the short-tailed roundleaf bat, Tanshi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Washington Research Foundation, remains enraptured by the hidden diversity in Nigeria’s rainforest and is still amazed at her discovery.
“Something that we thought was extinct was in this beautiful place that nobody goes to,” she says.
By Kingsley Charles, The Guardian
Related story: Video - Bat researchers of Nigeria
Vidoe - Nigeria says nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters have been reintegrated
Authorities in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State say nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters have now been reintegrated into society under a government-backed rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme aimed at encouraging defections from insurgent groups.
The announcement came as 720 former militants graduated from a rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, during a ceremony attended by state officials. According to Borno authorities, the latest group brings the total number of former insurgents reintegrated into their communities to 9,680.
The programme forms part of broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to weaken jihadist groups operating in the Lake Chad region by encouraging fighters to surrender and return to civilian life. Images from the ceremony showed hundreds of former militants gathered at the rehabilitation centre, where participants took an oath before being formally discharged from the programme.
Boko Haram's insurgency, which began more than a decade ago in northeastern Nigeria, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Although the group's capabilities have been significantly reduced by military operations, armed factions continue to carry out attacks in parts of the region.
Borno State authorities say rehabilitation and reintegration programmes remain an important component of efforts to end the conflict and promote long-term stability in communities affected by the insurgency.
The announcement came as 720 former militants graduated from a rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, during a ceremony attended by state officials. According to Borno authorities, the latest group brings the total number of former insurgents reintegrated into their communities to 9,680.
The programme forms part of broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to weaken jihadist groups operating in the Lake Chad region by encouraging fighters to surrender and return to civilian life. Images from the ceremony showed hundreds of former militants gathered at the rehabilitation centre, where participants took an oath before being formally discharged from the programme.
Boko Haram's insurgency, which began more than a decade ago in northeastern Nigeria, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Although the group's capabilities have been significantly reduced by military operations, armed factions continue to carry out attacks in parts of the region.
Borno State authorities say rehabilitation and reintegration programmes remain an important component of efforts to end the conflict and promote long-term stability in communities affected by the insurgency.
Stablecoins gain in Nigeria for cross-border transfers
Nigerians are increasingly turning to U.S. dollar-pegged digital tokens, or stablecoins, to move money across borders, as households and small businesses seek cheaper and faster alternatives to traditional channels, the IMF said on Tuesday.
The Fund said what began as a niche crypto use has grown into a significant payments route, with Nigeria receiving about $59 billion in crypto inflows between July 2023 and June 2024 and accounting for roughly 60% of stablecoin inflows in sub-Saharan Africa.
Stablecoins - cryptocurrencies pegged to assets and designed to hold a stable value - have gained global traction, backed in part by support from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Their price stability, combined with fast transfers via smartphones and digital wallets, has driven rapid adoption in Nigeria, the IMF said.
For users, they offer near-instant cross-border payments and a way to store value outside a volatile naira currency, effectively bridging crypto markets and traditional finance.
They can also undercut conventional remittance channels, where sending $200 to sub-Saharan Africa costs on average about 9% of transaction value, compared with a global average of 6%, said the IMF, citing World Bank data.
However, their rise poses policy challenges.
Widespread use of dollar-linked tokens could weaken monetary policy by reducing demand for the naira, while shifting transactions to digital wallets complicates oversight and raises the risk of illicit flows, the IMF said.
The Fund said what began as a niche crypto use has grown into a significant payments route, with Nigeria receiving about $59 billion in crypto inflows between July 2023 and June 2024 and accounting for roughly 60% of stablecoin inflows in sub-Saharan Africa.
Stablecoins - cryptocurrencies pegged to assets and designed to hold a stable value - have gained global traction, backed in part by support from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Their price stability, combined with fast transfers via smartphones and digital wallets, has driven rapid adoption in Nigeria, the IMF said.
For users, they offer near-instant cross-border payments and a way to store value outside a volatile naira currency, effectively bridging crypto markets and traditional finance.
They can also undercut conventional remittance channels, where sending $200 to sub-Saharan Africa costs on average about 9% of transaction value, compared with a global average of 6%, said the IMF, citing World Bank data.
However, their rise poses policy challenges.
Widespread use of dollar-linked tokens could weaken monetary policy by reducing demand for the naira, while shifting transactions to digital wallets complicates oversight and raises the risk of illicit flows, the IMF said.
By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
Nigerian army frees widow of ex-general who died in captivity
Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar and his wife Amina were abducted in the north-western state of Katsina at the end of last month.
The military said the kidnappers shot Mrs Abubakar during the rescue operation before fleeing as troops advanced. She is now being treated in a military hospital, a statement added.
One of the couple's daughters, Bilkisu, confirmed the rescue on WhatsApp, posting: "We are deeply grateful to Allah for His mercy and protection. Our mummy has been rescued from the hands of evil by the Nigerian Army.
"We pray that Allah grants her good health, complete recovery, peace of mind, and strength after everything she has been through."
Maj Gen Abubakar's death in custody was thought to have been the result of health complications.
In a statement issued on Monday, the military said the mission to rescue his wife "followed intensified search-and-rescue efforts".
"During sustained offensive operations and pressure mounted on the criminal elements, troops made contact with the bandits... leading to the successful recovery of Mrs Abubakar," said Samaila Uba, the director of defence information.
Uba said the armed forces leadership remained committed to ensuring her full recovery and was providing all necessary support to her family.
He added that troops would continue operations and track down the kidnappers.
No group has said it was behind the abductions. In north-west Nigeria criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.
Apart from bandits, militant jihadists have also operated in the region. An alleged militant camp in Sokoto state was the target of a US airstrike on 25 December last year.
On 6 June, a video surfaced online showing the retired general and his wife appealing to the Katsina government to release detained bandits and their livestock in exchange for their freedom.
On Saturday, the state government announced that the Maj Gen Abubakar had died in captivity. Officials said the retired officer's death was linked to diabetes and high blood pressure. His remains were buried later that day.
President Bola Tinubu said he was "shocked" by the general's death and described it as a reminder of the threat posed by armed criminal groups.
By Mansur Abubakar and Makuochi Okafor, BBC
Related story: Kidnapped Nigerian retired general dies in captivity
Monday, June 15, 2026
Video - Nigerian on course to decentralize policing system
The Nigerian parliament has passed a constitutional amendment bill aimed at decentralizing the country’s security architecture through the creation of state-level police forces. The long-debated reform now requires approval from at least two-thirds of the country’s state assemblies before it can be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent. Lawmakers say the proposal marks a significant step toward addressing a worsening insecurity situation across the country.
Video - Nigeria intensifies fight against growing security threats
Nigeria continues to grapple with a range of security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping and banditry, despite ongoing military and intelligence operations. Authorities say security forces are stepping up both operational and intelligence-led responses while expanding cooperation with international partners in an effort to improve security across the country.
Thierry Henry apologises to Nigerians after controversial World Cup broadcast comment
Thierry Henry has apologised after comments made during Fox’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup opening game between the United States and Paraguay sparked criticism from Nigerian fans.
The Arsenal and France legend, working as a studio analyst alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas, reacted during a pre-match segment involving streamer IShowSpeed, who wore a US jersey paired with Nigerian national team shorts.
Ibrahimovic joked about the combination, while Henry remarked that mixing kits is often considered bad luck in sport and added, “I love Nigeria, but today is US for you.”
The comments were widely shared on social media and prompted backlash from supporters in Nigeria.
However, Henry later issued an apology, clarifying that no offence was intended and acknowledging the sensitivity of national team symbols and fan pride, while revealing he respects Nigerian football culture deeply and supports its global fanbase always.
"I need to clarify something because I don’t think people understand when you say stuff sometimes or when a joke is a joke,” Henry said.
"So IShowSpeed yesterday had Nigerian shorts and a US top, and I just said to him it is bad luck to break the set.
"It could have been the shorts of France, Italy or Spain - I would have said the same thing.
"I was just joking with him, saying it would be bad luck; not that Nigeria is bad luck, but that breaking the set is bad luck.
"I even said I love Naija, and I do. I have mad respect for Nigeria and the people there.
"There are a lot of Arsenal fans out there. Nigeria is never bad luck. I was just saying breaking the set is bad luck with any other shorts."
Henry enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Arsenal, where he established himself as one of the Premier League’s greatest forwards.
During his time at the club, he also played alongside Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu, forming part of a memorable squad that delivered major domestic success under Arsene Wenger.
By Shina Oludare, Tribal Football
Video - People with Albinism in Nigeria seek equal opportunities
It’s not just about being seen. People living with albinism in Nigeria are calling for real opportunities — in jobs, education, and business — and pushing for true inclusion.
Related story: Nigerians living with albinism demand inclusion beyond pity
Kidnapped Nigerian retired general dies in captivity
Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, who had a high-profile job as military spokesman between 2015 and 2017, was abducted with his wife while travelling in Katsina state last month.
No group has said it was behind the kidnappings.
The abduction and death of Abubakar highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.
The Katsina state government said Abubakar died from natural causes.
The state's Internal Security and Home Affairs Commissioner, Nasiru Mu'azu, expressed regret over what happened, despite what he called "the relentless and concerted efforts" of both the state government and various security agencies to secure the general's safe release.
"The retired general died a natural death from complications of diabetes and hypertension,” he told reporters while expressing his condolences.
Meanwhile, the late soldier's family has called on the authorities to intensify efforts to rescue his wife, who is still with the kidnappers.
Abubakar's daughter, who spoke to the BBC, said the death of the retired military officer has placed the family in unbearable pain.
"The pain is unbearable. Only God will deliver us. We are praying. Allah is our only safety. By God's grace, we will be saved," she said.
Apart from bandits, militant jihadists have also operated in the region. An alleged militant camp in Sokoto state was the target of a US airstrike on 25 December last year.
Katsina has been one of the states most affected by the violence.
Local media reported that the retired officer had been going to a wedding on 30 May when armed men attacked his vehicle and seized him, his wife and their driver.
Days before news of his death emerged, a video shared on social media appeared to show Abubakar in captivity. He was seen with an apparent injury to his left leg alongside his wife and other hostages.
The military said it chose not to comment publicly on the abduction while efforts to free those in captivity were being made.
"In deference to ongoing rescue efforts by security agencies, the Armed Forces withheld public comment while every operational resource was deployed in the hope of securing his safe return," the statement said.
The whereabouts and condition of Abubakar's wife remain unknown. But a military spokesman said that "ongoing operations have since been further intensified to bring perpetrators to justice and to dismantle all terrorist networks threatening our nation".
The military paid tribute to the major general, who local media reported was 61 when he died, describing the loss as "tragic" and offered condolences to his family and former colleagues.
A statement said he made "immense contributions to counter-insurgency operations… His commitment to duty and to the unity of Nigeria remains a shining example for all personnel."
By Abayomi Adisa, BBC
Friday, June 12, 2026
Video - Nigeria warns against reprisals over xenophobic attacks in South Africa
Nigerian authorities have urged citizens not to target South African nationals or businesses following renewed xenophobic attacks on immigrants. Officials say security has been strengthened around key locations to prevent a repeat of the retaliatory attacks seen during previous outbreaks of xenophobic unrest.
“Criticize Me, But Never Stop Believing in Nigeria,” Tinubu Tells Citizens
President Bola Tinubu has urged the media and civil society organisations not to stop believing in Nigeria even when they criticise his government.
Mr Tinubu spoke in a televised broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day on Friday.
Addressing key democratic institutions, Mr Tinubu described the National Assembly, the judiciary, the press and civil society groups as the “guardrails” of the republic.
“To our National Assembly, Judiciary, the Press, and Civil Society: you are the guardrails of our republic. Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria,” the president said.
The president noted that Nigeria had sustained 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999, describing it as the country’s longest period of democratic governance.
“Our democracy is not perfect, but it is ours, and we must continue to defend and strengthen it,” he said.
Mr Tinubu spoke in a televised broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day on Friday.
Addressing key democratic institutions, Mr Tinubu described the National Assembly, the judiciary, the press and civil society groups as the “guardrails” of the republic.
“To our National Assembly, Judiciary, the Press, and Civil Society: you are the guardrails of our republic. Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria,” the president said.
The president noted that Nigeria had sustained 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999, describing it as the country’s longest period of democratic governance.
“Our democracy is not perfect, but it is ours, and we must continue to defend and strengthen it,” he said.
Elections, Security
Mr Tinubu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political parties to ensure peaceful and credible governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
According to him, democracy is weakened when citizens lose confidence in the electoral process.
The president also addressed Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that the mood of the day was “dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno.”
He said the administration had declared a security emergency, approved recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers and thousands of military personnel, and committed N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget — the largest allocation yet.
Speaking on the economy, the president defended recent reforms as a “necessity,” citing improved federation revenues, higher domestic refining capacity, and growth in non-oil exports.
He said the next phase would focus on making democracy felt in the quality of life through job creation, lower inflation, and expanded opportunities for youth.
He also honoured the heroes of the ‘June 12’ struggle, including M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and announced national awards for democracy activists and “soldier-democrats” who suffered persecution.
“Let us renew our covenant: That the labours of our heroes’ past shall never be in vain, and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this land,” Mr Tinubu said.
Mr Tinubu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political parties to ensure peaceful and credible governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
According to him, democracy is weakened when citizens lose confidence in the electoral process.
The president also addressed Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that the mood of the day was “dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno.”
He said the administration had declared a security emergency, approved recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers and thousands of military personnel, and committed N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget — the largest allocation yet.
Speaking on the economy, the president defended recent reforms as a “necessity,” citing improved federation revenues, higher domestic refining capacity, and growth in non-oil exports.
He said the next phase would focus on making democracy felt in the quality of life through job creation, lower inflation, and expanded opportunities for youth.
He also honoured the heroes of the ‘June 12’ struggle, including M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and announced national awards for democracy activists and “soldier-democrats” who suffered persecution.
“Let us renew our covenant: That the labours of our heroes’ past shall never be in vain, and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this land,” Mr Tinubu said.
Nigeria orders arrest of former state oil chief over $154 billion audit probe amid failed refinery repairs
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts issued the order on June 10 after nine hearings into 19 audit queries involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, or NNPC, covering 2017 to 2023.
The investigation has intensified scrutiny of Africa’s biggest oil producer, where billions of dollars have been spent on state-owned refineries that have yet to achieve reliable production.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, the former group GCEO should be arrested and brought before the committee immediately,” committee chairman Ibrahim Dankwambo said after lawmakers approved the motion.
The ₦210 trillion under review, equivalent to about $154 billion, does not necessarily represent missing funds.
NNPC told lawmakers that ₦103 trillion ($75.6 billion) reflected accrued expenses, while ₦107 trillion ($78.5 billion) was listed as receivables.
However, lawmakers rejected the explanation and demanded supporting documents and testimony from former company executives.
Appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, Kyari led NNPC first as group managing director and later as group chief executive following the company’s restructuring. He remained in the role until 2025.
‘Not only when it catches the rabbit’
Adams Oshiomhole, a former state governor who now serves in the Senate, backed the arrest motion and said Kyari must personally account for decisions taken during his tenure.
“Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria,” Oshiomhole said. “The law must be effective when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit.”
He urged the committee to issue the warrant “not tomorrow, but today”.
“These are allegations involving trillions of naira at a time Nigerians are suffering, and the country is borrowing heavily,” Oshiomhole said.
Another lawmaker informed the committee that Kyari was receiving medical treatment in Germany and had promised to attend the hearing.
Kyari said he had notified lawmakers about his condition and was “deeply shocked” by the arrest order. Nonetheless, the committee maintained that his repeated absence had stalled the investigation.
Adams Oshiomhole, a former state governor who now serves in the Senate, backed the arrest motion and said Kyari must personally account for decisions taken during his tenure.
“Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria,” Oshiomhole said. “The law must be effective when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit.”
He urged the committee to issue the warrant “not tomorrow, but today”.
“These are allegations involving trillions of naira at a time Nigerians are suffering, and the country is borrowing heavily,” Oshiomhole said.
Another lawmaker informed the committee that Kyari was receiving medical treatment in Germany and had promised to attend the hearing.
Kyari said he had notified lawmakers about his condition and was “deeply shocked” by the arrest order. Nonetheless, the committee maintained that his repeated absence had stalled the investigation.
Borrowing raises pressure for accountability
The audit dispute comes as Nigeria increases borrowing to finance government spending and infrastructure.
In October 2025, parliament approved a $2.85 billion foreign borrowing plan, including a proposed $500 million sovereign sukuk.
More recently, the government arranged access to as much as $5 billion through a derivatives agreement with First Abu Dhabi Bank.
The International Monetary Fund warned that such financing structures could be complex and opaque, creating additional fiscal risks.
Nigeria is also expected to spend about $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026, close to half of projected government revenue.
The audit dispute comes as Nigeria increases borrowing to finance government spending and infrastructure.
In October 2025, parliament approved a $2.85 billion foreign borrowing plan, including a proposed $500 million sovereign sukuk.
More recently, the government arranged access to as much as $5 billion through a derivatives agreement with First Abu Dhabi Bank.
The International Monetary Fund warned that such financing structures could be complex and opaque, creating additional fiscal risks.
Nigeria is also expected to spend about $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026, close to half of projected government revenue.
State refineries remain unreliable
Scrutiny of NNPC has also focused on Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
The facilities have a combined processing capacity of 445,000 barrels a day and were intended to reduce the country’s dependence on imported petrol, diesel and other refined products.
However, years of rehabilitation programmes and billions of dollars in spending have failed to restore sustained production.
The Port Harcourt refinery resumed limited operations in November 2024 after a rehabilitation programme valued at about $1.5 billion. NNPC shut it again in May 2025 for maintenance and a performance review.
The Warri refinery also restarted briefly before halting production, while the Kaduna plant has yet to return to commercial operations.
Nigeria’s parliament previously estimated that about $25 billion had been spent over a decade trying to repair the state-owned refineries.
Despite being one of Africa’s biggest crude oil producers, Nigeria has continued to depend on imported fuel and the privately owned Dangote refinery near Lagos.
Scrutiny of NNPC has also focused on Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
The facilities have a combined processing capacity of 445,000 barrels a day and were intended to reduce the country’s dependence on imported petrol, diesel and other refined products.
However, years of rehabilitation programmes and billions of dollars in spending have failed to restore sustained production.
The Port Harcourt refinery resumed limited operations in November 2024 after a rehabilitation programme valued at about $1.5 billion. NNPC shut it again in May 2025 for maintenance and a performance review.
The Warri refinery also restarted briefly before halting production, while the Kaduna plant has yet to return to commercial operations.
Nigeria’s parliament previously estimated that about $25 billion had been spent over a decade trying to repair the state-owned refineries.
Despite being one of Africa’s biggest crude oil producers, Nigeria has continued to depend on imported fuel and the privately owned Dangote refinery near Lagos.
Dangote alleged links to Malta blending plant
NNPC also faced public criticism from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote during Kyari’s tenure.
In July 2024, Dangote alleged that some NNPC personnel, fuel traders and terminal operators had established a blending plant in Malta and were importing petroleum products into Nigeria.
“Some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta,” Dangote said during a visit by Nigerian lawmakers to his refinery.
Kyari denied owning or operating such a facility and said he was unaware of any NNPC employee with a blending plant in Malta or elsewhere.
He also challenged Dangote to identify the officials involved and called on security agencies to investigate any evidence of wrongdoing.
While the Senate has not established that Kyari stole or personally controlled the ₦210 trillion under review, the inquiry remains focused on disputed accounting entries, supporting documents and the management of public revenue during his tenure.
NNPC also faced public criticism from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote during Kyari’s tenure.
In July 2024, Dangote alleged that some NNPC personnel, fuel traders and terminal operators had established a blending plant in Malta and were importing petroleum products into Nigeria.
“Some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta,” Dangote said during a visit by Nigerian lawmakers to his refinery.
Kyari denied owning or operating such a facility and said he was unaware of any NNPC employee with a blending plant in Malta or elsewhere.
He also challenged Dangote to identify the officials involved and called on security agencies to investigate any evidence of wrongdoing.
While the Senate has not established that Kyari stole or personally controlled the ₦210 trillion under review, the inquiry remains focused on disputed accounting entries, supporting documents and the management of public revenue during his tenure.
By Olamilekan Okebiorun, Business Insider Africa
Nigerian man unable to claim Italian lottery win gains residency permit
“I’ve been praying for this moment ever since I arrived in Italy,” said Imagbe Ehizomwengie, 36. “It’s a huge relief. You might think it’s incredible, but receiving the permit means more to me than winning the money. I want to work and contribute to society.”
Ehizomwengie bought the €5 Gratta e Vinci – Italy’s official instant scratchcard lottery – last October with money scraped together from selling handkerchiefs and begging outside a supermarket in Turin.
He cried tears of joy and relief when he discovered he had hit the jackpot, only for the win to be overshadowed by his bureaucratic quagmire.
Speaking to the Guardian, Ehizomwengie said he had arrived in Italy in 2016 after a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya, where he had been held captive for two years and was only released after a ransom was paid.
His request for a “special protection” permit – which until being restricted by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government in 2023 granted residency to asylum seekers who did not qualify as refugees but faced serious risks to their life if sent home – was rejected.
Unable to work, Ehizomwengie got by as a street seller, occasionally chancing his luck with scratchcards in the hope of reversing his fortunes.
“When I lived in Nigeria, I was always praying for opportunities, but they never came,” he said. “But you also need to take risks in life, and I kept believing that one day I might even become a millionaire.”
He added: “I stopped buying the scratchcards for years but on the day I won … I truly believe God was watching over me.”
But then began his quest to claim his winnings. Without a residency permit, Ehizomwengie could not open a bank account to receive the money. In turn, without the money he could not demonstrate the financial independence needed to support his renewed appeal for a residency permit.
Scrambling for a solution, after being taken advantage of by a Nigerian friend to whom he had entrusted the money, the friend agreed to transfer about half of the post-tax winnings to Ehizomwengie’s cousin’s account. The funds were then used to buy Mama Africa, a shop selling food produce from Africa in the seaside town of Falconara in the Marche region of Italy.
In the meantime, Ehizomwengie’s lawyer, Andrea Palazzeschi, pursued his case through a court in Ancona, which this week ordered that a residence permit be issued, taking into consideration Ehizomwengie’s competent Italian, his work at Mama Africa and, pertinently, his new financial independence.
Palazzeschi said: “But it’s important to stress that Imagbe didn’t get the residence permit because he won the money, he got it because he proved to be a good candidate.”
Gratta e Vinci scratchcards are hugely popular in Italy. In 2019, an unemployed fisher in Puglia found a winning €100,000 scratchcard in a rubbish bin and was able to cash it in, while in 2022 a young man in northern Italy won €500,000 and fainted on the spot due to the shock.
Needless to say, Ehizomwengie has attracted much attention in Falconara, where he said he would organise a party to which everyone will be invited. “But only to celebrate receiving my permit,” he said. “I want to work and intend to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I just want to live a normal life.”
President Tinubu says 13,000 Terrorists Neutralized in past year
Nigeria has killed more than 13,000 "terrorists" in the past year, President Bola Tinubu said Friday, adding that the death toll from the country's jihadist insurgency is down 81 percent since he took power in 2023.
"Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year," Tinubu said, without specifying if he meant in 2025 or in the previous 12 months.
He also said that over "124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor".
Africa's most populous country is fighting a long-running jihadist insurgency across its northern regions, complicated by inroads made by militants from the Sahel, and non-ideological "bandit" gangs.
The insurgency, which has spawned multiple armed groups, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since it began in 2009 with an uprising by the jihadist group Boko Haram.
The crisis has also been compounded by violent farmer-herder clashes in parts of the northeast and central regions, while secessionist agitation rumbles on in the southeast, and rampant kidnappings for ransom plague the country's northwest and central regions.
The unrest is inching closer to the relatively safer southwest, where more than 40 students and teachers were seized from their schools in the state of Oyo in May.
"Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year," Tinubu said, without specifying if he meant in 2025 or in the previous 12 months.
He also said that over "124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor".
Africa's most populous country is fighting a long-running jihadist insurgency across its northern regions, complicated by inroads made by militants from the Sahel, and non-ideological "bandit" gangs.
The insurgency, which has spawned multiple armed groups, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since it began in 2009 with an uprising by the jihadist group Boko Haram.
The crisis has also been compounded by violent farmer-herder clashes in parts of the northeast and central regions, while secessionist agitation rumbles on in the southeast, and rampant kidnappings for ransom plague the country's northwest and central regions.
The unrest is inching closer to the relatively safer southwest, where more than 40 students and teachers were seized from their schools in the state of Oyo in May.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Video - UN warns of food crisis for 35 million Nigerians
Nearly 35 million people in Nigeria are expected to face acute food insecurity between June and August, according to the UN. Conflict, displacement, and economic hardship have left millions struggling to access food, while funding shortages are hampering humanitarian response efforts.
US-Nigeria joint operations eliminate over 200 terrorists in northeast
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Nigerian military have killed more than 200 terrorists in joint operations targeting Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in northeastern Nigeria, the two sides said Wednesday.
"AFRICOM, in continued coordination with Nigeria, conducted operations against ISIS (Daesh) fighters in NE Nigeria," AFRICOM said in a post on the US social media platform X. "The targeted operations eliminated more than 200 terrorists, including (ISIS leader) Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed."
Nigerian Defense Headquarters spokesperson Samaila Mohammed Uba said the joint operations had significantly degraded terrorist networks in the region, with strikes targeting militant hideouts, logistics bases and operational infrastructure.
Uba confirmed that over 200 terrorists had been killed in the operations and noted that this partnership has also enhanced the Nigerian security forces’ capabilities in intelligence-driven operations, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Nigeria has faced a prolonged insurgency in its northeast for over a decade, largely driven by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, ISWAP. The conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, particularly in states like Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
By Rabia İclal Turan, AA
"AFRICOM, in continued coordination with Nigeria, conducted operations against ISIS (Daesh) fighters in NE Nigeria," AFRICOM said in a post on the US social media platform X. "The targeted operations eliminated more than 200 terrorists, including (ISIS leader) Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed."
Nigerian Defense Headquarters spokesperson Samaila Mohammed Uba said the joint operations had significantly degraded terrorist networks in the region, with strikes targeting militant hideouts, logistics bases and operational infrastructure.
Uba confirmed that over 200 terrorists had been killed in the operations and noted that this partnership has also enhanced the Nigerian security forces’ capabilities in intelligence-driven operations, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Nigeria has faced a prolonged insurgency in its northeast for over a decade, largely driven by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, ISWAP. The conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, particularly in states like Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
Portugal beat Nigeria in World Cup tune-up despite Ronaldo woes
Chelsea forward Neto opened the scoring midway through the first half, but Nigeria levelled through Akor Adams before half-time.
Juventus winger Conceicao restored Portugal's lead 15 minutes from the end in Leiria as five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo wasted a number of good chances.
At 41, Ronaldo will be heading to his record sixth World Cup, but there are concerns in some quarters that his presence will prevent Roberto Martinez's strong side from flourishing.
With his full squad available following the arrival of the four players who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Martinez started midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves alongside Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal leave on Friday to set up base camp in Palm Beach, Florida.
They open their World Cup campaign on June 17 in Houston against the Democratic Republic of Congo, before facing Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K.
Juventus winger Conceicao restored Portugal's lead 15 minutes from the end in Leiria as five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo wasted a number of good chances.
At 41, Ronaldo will be heading to his record sixth World Cup, but there are concerns in some quarters that his presence will prevent Roberto Martinez's strong side from flourishing.
With his full squad available following the arrival of the four players who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Martinez started midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves alongside Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal leave on Friday to set up base camp in Palm Beach, Florida.
They open their World Cup campaign on June 17 in Houston against the Democratic Republic of Congo, before facing Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K.
Nigeria evacuates citizens from South Africa as anti-migrant sentiment rises
Nigeria has become the latest African state to repatriate some of its citizens from South Africa following a rise in anti-migrant sentiments in the country.
A flight carrying 268 Nigerians has landed in Lagos after leaving Johannesburg on Thursday morning. The passengers were part of around 1,000 people who the Nigerian consulate in South Africa says have registered to be repatriated.
Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi have already carried out evacuations, ahead of a 30 June deadline set by some campaigners for undocumented migrants to leave.
Many people from other parts of Africa moved to South Africa around the time white-minority rule ended in 1994, hoping for a better life.
But with South Africa facing an unemployment rate of more than 30%, anti-migrant sentiments have risen, with protest marches being held in major cities and people facing xenophobic attacks.
At the main international airport in Johannesburg, Justin, one of the Nigerian passengers, told the BBC that he had lived in South Africa since 1998.
"I'm leaving because of the conditions they've given us here. They say we must leave on or before 30th June. And because of the way they are killing people, killing our brothers, so I'm not safe," Justin said.
Justin told the BBC that he had already been targeted.
"Recently they attacked me in a taxi. I ran away and left my things. I left my phone and everything.
"They call us names and say you must leave this country. When we tried to beg them, they started insulting us."
There have been no official figures regarding the number of deaths caused by xenophobic violence in recent weeks.
The police have said two Mozambican men were killed in Western Cape province earlier this month but have not given a motive.
The Mozambican authorities said the death toll was higher, and their citizens have been killed as a result of xenophobia.
Some of the protesters have pointed the finger at migrants for South Africa's high unemployment rate, and putting pressure on public services like schools and hospitals.
However, Nigeria's Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, told the BBC that migrants made up less than 10% of South Africa's population, and could not be "blamed for broken systems in education, health care, policing, unemployment".
"They are not and cannot be the problem. So, migrants are basically being scapegoated," Okey-Uche added.
A spokesman for South Africa's Border Management Agency told local TV station Newzroom Afrika that none of the passengers on the flight had documents to live in South Africa legally.
Okey-Uche said she did not have the figures, but delays in processing applications could lead to some people ending up as undocumented migrants.
She added that the South African authorities need to do more to act against people "propagating these xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments".
"There are a lot of top South African politicians who have spoken up against what's happening, saying it's absolutely wrong.
"But down on the street, we need to see arrests. We know the people in charge. They're not hiding. They've caused mayhem in people's lives, but they're walking free. Some of them are running for election," Okey-Uche said.
South Africa is due to hold local government elections in November, with some analysts believing that migration is being turned into a major campaign issue.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa made a televised address responding to the protests, announcing new measures to crackdown on illegal migration.
These include jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, setting up dedicated courts to speed up the deportations and having a biometric database for everyone in the country to avoid identity theft.
He also warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands by targeting those they suspect of being in the country illegally.
By Mayeni Jones, BBC
A flight carrying 268 Nigerians has landed in Lagos after leaving Johannesburg on Thursday morning. The passengers were part of around 1,000 people who the Nigerian consulate in South Africa says have registered to be repatriated.
Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi have already carried out evacuations, ahead of a 30 June deadline set by some campaigners for undocumented migrants to leave.
Many people from other parts of Africa moved to South Africa around the time white-minority rule ended in 1994, hoping for a better life.
But with South Africa facing an unemployment rate of more than 30%, anti-migrant sentiments have risen, with protest marches being held in major cities and people facing xenophobic attacks.
At the main international airport in Johannesburg, Justin, one of the Nigerian passengers, told the BBC that he had lived in South Africa since 1998.
"I'm leaving because of the conditions they've given us here. They say we must leave on or before 30th June. And because of the way they are killing people, killing our brothers, so I'm not safe," Justin said.
Justin told the BBC that he had already been targeted.
"Recently they attacked me in a taxi. I ran away and left my things. I left my phone and everything.
"They call us names and say you must leave this country. When we tried to beg them, they started insulting us."
There have been no official figures regarding the number of deaths caused by xenophobic violence in recent weeks.
The police have said two Mozambican men were killed in Western Cape province earlier this month but have not given a motive.
The Mozambican authorities said the death toll was higher, and their citizens have been killed as a result of xenophobia.
Some of the protesters have pointed the finger at migrants for South Africa's high unemployment rate, and putting pressure on public services like schools and hospitals.
However, Nigeria's Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, told the BBC that migrants made up less than 10% of South Africa's population, and could not be "blamed for broken systems in education, health care, policing, unemployment".
"They are not and cannot be the problem. So, migrants are basically being scapegoated," Okey-Uche added.
A spokesman for South Africa's Border Management Agency told local TV station Newzroom Afrika that none of the passengers on the flight had documents to live in South Africa legally.
Okey-Uche said she did not have the figures, but delays in processing applications could lead to some people ending up as undocumented migrants.
She added that the South African authorities need to do more to act against people "propagating these xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments".
"There are a lot of top South African politicians who have spoken up against what's happening, saying it's absolutely wrong.
"But down on the street, we need to see arrests. We know the people in charge. They're not hiding. They've caused mayhem in people's lives, but they're walking free. Some of them are running for election," Okey-Uche said.
South Africa is due to hold local government elections in November, with some analysts believing that migration is being turned into a major campaign issue.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa made a televised address responding to the protests, announcing new measures to crackdown on illegal migration.
These include jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, setting up dedicated courts to speed up the deportations and having a biometric database for everyone in the country to avoid identity theft.
He also warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands by targeting those they suspect of being in the country illegally.
By Mayeni Jones, BBC
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
High hopes as Nigeria-U.S. pact shifts global counter-terrorism to Sahel
The global war against terrorism is entering a new phase, and Africa has become its central battlefield following recent happenings in the fight against terror in Nigeria.
Security developments indicate that the United States is increasingly redirecting its counter-terrorism operations from the Middle East to Africa, with Nigeria emerging as a critical strategic ally in the expanding offensive against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates operating across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.
For years, the epicentre of global terrorism was concentrated in Iraq and Syria, but intelligence assessments now point to a dramatic geographic shift.
ISIS leadership structures are believed to have migrated into the Lake Chad region, while Al-Qaeda-linked groups have entrenched themselves across the Sahel, turning parts of West and Central Africa into one of the world’s most volatile terror corridors.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria have borne the brunt of the insurgents’ migration, but worsening political instability in the region, evidenced by military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, has deeply fractured regional cooperation and weakened coordinated responses to terrorism.
Now, observers believe that Washington appears determined to prevent the region from slipping further into extremist control.
The U.S. believes that ungoverned spaces in Africa allow groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to build bases for external operations targeting America.
Also, beyond security, the U.S. seeks to ensure access to critical resources, such as high-quality crude oil from the Gulf of Guinea and minerals in nearby regions, which serve as alternatives to Middle Eastern or Chinese-dominated supply chains, while equally trying to suppress Chinese and Russian interests in the region.
Security sources said the region is witnessing an unprecedented escalation of American military engagement, including sustained air operations targeting ISIS strongholds around Lake Chad.
The renewed offensive mirrors earlier American tactics used in the Middle East.
For instance, in 2019, the United States deployed a B-52 bomber to obliterate an ISIS logistics and training base hidden on an island in Iraq’s Tigris River, dropping over 36,000 kilograms of bombs and wiping the enclave off the map.
Similar counter-terrorism intensity is unfolding in Africa following the recent joint U.S.-Nigeria military operations, which struck terrorist enclaves in Sokoto during the 2025 Christmas period and later in Metele, Borno State, where airstrikes allegedly eliminated ISIS global deputy leader, Al-Minuk.
The operations mark a major turning point in Abuja’s security partnership with Washington.
Nigeria, once viewed in Washington with deep suspicion over allegations of human rights abuses and governance concerns, has gradually rebuilt diplomatic trust through intelligence sharing, strategic military cooperation and counter-terrorism coordination.
Military sources said troops recorded fresh gains against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters in the North-East and the Lake Chad Islands, with several insurgent commanders neutralised in recent offensives.
For Nigeria, the expanding U.S. military footprint, while appearing on the surface to appease the Trump administration’s Christian evangelical base through claims that American involvement is aimed at preventing Christian persecution, also serves a broader strategic purpose. It provides Washington with a critical entry point for monitoring the evolving and adaptive insurgency landscape across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, which directly threatens U.S. interests in the region and, potentially, the homeland itself.
Notwithstanding the military victories, Nigeria’s internal security crisis has continued to deepen.
Across the country, kidnappings for ransom have continued to surge alarmingly.
Schools, markets, worship centres and highways are increasingly under siege, while communal clashes, separatist agitation, banditry, herder-farmer conflicts and economic sabotage continue to destabilise several regions.
According to a Corporate Security & Risk Management Professional/Regional Security Adviser, Austen Pabor, terrorism and extremism have gone side-by-side with the same outcomes over the years, resulting in armed conflicts and extensive wreckage across the globe, with the United States playing the role it plays to restore stability in these affected countries.
“This shift in global counter-terrorism attention toward Africa reflects how threats can evolve and where the threat is evolving. For Nigeria, this presents an opportunity to strengthen intelligence sharing, regional security cooperation, and counter-terrorism capabilities, provided the country views it through this lens and takes advantage of the potential relationships.
“However, military action alone will not secure lasting stability in Nigeria. The real solution lies in combining targeted security operations with stronger border management, effective governance, disruption of terrorist financing, and the restoration of state authority in underserved communities,” he suggested, adding that terrorist groups thrive where governance is weak.
Pabor stated that sustainable security must focus on both defeating the threat and eliminating the conditions that allow it to regenerate.
“I am hopeful that if the Nigerian government explores the pros of this possibility, where intelligence, surveillance, border strengthening, etc., are shared with the common goal of combating terrorism, it will certainly be a conversation on the front burner,” he said.
Also, security expert, Matthew Ibadin, agreed with the assessment that most of the insecurity challenges are coming from the Sahel region.
This, he attributed to porous borders. According to him, the Nigerian border in the Sahel is porous, making it easy for the terrorists to migrate into the country.
He argued that even if all the country’s military might were deployed to the Sahel, they would not be able to contain the terrorists pouring into the country as a result of porous borders.
“It is time for the Nigerian government to fortify our borders and dismantle the current security architecture in the country.
“This is because we are operating under a single-digit security architecture, where the police are on the exclusive list. The federal government owns the police, so we have a centralised police force. It means that the federal government owns the army, navy, air and the police,” he pointed out.
He explained that it would be difficult to fix the security challenges without devolving power. According to him, that is the only way out of the quagmire.
Ibadin said: “We should allow state police by taking policing from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. Let state governments be able to formulate and undertake policing tasks in their states, so we can hold state governors accountable when there are issues in their states.
Arguing that the police can combat insecurity, Ibadin stressed that the police, if properly empowered, trained, and equipped, could do the job of fighting pervasive insecurity effectively.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has reportedly announced the closure of its ‘hijrah’ migration routes for foreign fighters, acknowledging that traditional entry corridors into Nigeria have become too dangerous due to sustained military operations by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Nigerian forces.
According to an intelligence report from security analysts covering the Lake Chad region, the terrorist group reportedly acknowledged that the routes, which have historically served as vital channels for the movement of fighters, weapons, supplies, and external support into insurgent-controlled territories, are now considered inaccessible.
Security sources described this development as evidence of increasing pressure on the group’s logistics infrastructure. The restriction on those corridors, they said, could complicate the terrorist organisation’s recruitment, logistics, and operational planning.
The closure of migration routes is believed to be the result of the intelligence-led strikes targeting ISWAP command structures and supply chains across Borno State and the wider Lake Chad region. Experts said this campaign should be sustained.
For a security analyst and digital communications expert, Deji Adesogan, the increasing shift of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts from the Middle East to Africa positions Nigeria as a key strategic partner in the fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
This development, he said, could enhance Nigeria’s security through improved intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and access to advanced technology, helping to combat Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other extremist groups.
“Improved security could also boost economic development by attracting investment, restoring agricultural activities, and promoting regional stability. However, Nigeria may also face increased terrorist threats as extremist groups adapt to growing pressure.
“To maximise the benefits, Nigeria must complement military operations with investments in technology, innovation, education, job creation, and good governance to address the root causes of extremism and build long-term national stability,” he said.
A security expert, Abubakar Sadeeq, said, “First, before development, there must be peace. In any situation where crises take the lead, development will be very, very scarce, because how do you even develop when there is no peace?”
Sadeeq blamed insecurity in Nigeria and in the Sahel on the former colonial master. He accused them of using insecurity to exploit the resources of Africa.
“You should know that without Africa’s resources, places like France cannot survive, places like Europe cannot survive. So, there must be crises. Those are factors that are creating this insecurity.
“And Libya is just a next-door neighbour where there was a crisis. And after the crisis, there was no proper resolution to cover the movement of arms. Those arms were deployed into some parts of Africa, here, Nigeria, to be precise.
“So, those are the major factors. And until we have those factors curtailed by having a serious strategy, bringing all security experts together to draft a strategy, of course, there will not be peace.
By Joseph Onyekwere and Johnson Eyiangho, The Guardian
Security developments indicate that the United States is increasingly redirecting its counter-terrorism operations from the Middle East to Africa, with Nigeria emerging as a critical strategic ally in the expanding offensive against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates operating across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.
For years, the epicentre of global terrorism was concentrated in Iraq and Syria, but intelligence assessments now point to a dramatic geographic shift.
ISIS leadership structures are believed to have migrated into the Lake Chad region, while Al-Qaeda-linked groups have entrenched themselves across the Sahel, turning parts of West and Central Africa into one of the world’s most volatile terror corridors.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria have borne the brunt of the insurgents’ migration, but worsening political instability in the region, evidenced by military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, has deeply fractured regional cooperation and weakened coordinated responses to terrorism.
Now, observers believe that Washington appears determined to prevent the region from slipping further into extremist control.
The U.S. believes that ungoverned spaces in Africa allow groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to build bases for external operations targeting America.
Also, beyond security, the U.S. seeks to ensure access to critical resources, such as high-quality crude oil from the Gulf of Guinea and minerals in nearby regions, which serve as alternatives to Middle Eastern or Chinese-dominated supply chains, while equally trying to suppress Chinese and Russian interests in the region.
Security sources said the region is witnessing an unprecedented escalation of American military engagement, including sustained air operations targeting ISIS strongholds around Lake Chad.
The renewed offensive mirrors earlier American tactics used in the Middle East.
For instance, in 2019, the United States deployed a B-52 bomber to obliterate an ISIS logistics and training base hidden on an island in Iraq’s Tigris River, dropping over 36,000 kilograms of bombs and wiping the enclave off the map.
Similar counter-terrorism intensity is unfolding in Africa following the recent joint U.S.-Nigeria military operations, which struck terrorist enclaves in Sokoto during the 2025 Christmas period and later in Metele, Borno State, where airstrikes allegedly eliminated ISIS global deputy leader, Al-Minuk.
The operations mark a major turning point in Abuja’s security partnership with Washington.
Nigeria, once viewed in Washington with deep suspicion over allegations of human rights abuses and governance concerns, has gradually rebuilt diplomatic trust through intelligence sharing, strategic military cooperation and counter-terrorism coordination.
Military sources said troops recorded fresh gains against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters in the North-East and the Lake Chad Islands, with several insurgent commanders neutralised in recent offensives.
For Nigeria, the expanding U.S. military footprint, while appearing on the surface to appease the Trump administration’s Christian evangelical base through claims that American involvement is aimed at preventing Christian persecution, also serves a broader strategic purpose. It provides Washington with a critical entry point for monitoring the evolving and adaptive insurgency landscape across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, which directly threatens U.S. interests in the region and, potentially, the homeland itself.
Notwithstanding the military victories, Nigeria’s internal security crisis has continued to deepen.
Across the country, kidnappings for ransom have continued to surge alarmingly.
Schools, markets, worship centres and highways are increasingly under siege, while communal clashes, separatist agitation, banditry, herder-farmer conflicts and economic sabotage continue to destabilise several regions.
According to a Corporate Security & Risk Management Professional/Regional Security Adviser, Austen Pabor, terrorism and extremism have gone side-by-side with the same outcomes over the years, resulting in armed conflicts and extensive wreckage across the globe, with the United States playing the role it plays to restore stability in these affected countries.
“This shift in global counter-terrorism attention toward Africa reflects how threats can evolve and where the threat is evolving. For Nigeria, this presents an opportunity to strengthen intelligence sharing, regional security cooperation, and counter-terrorism capabilities, provided the country views it through this lens and takes advantage of the potential relationships.
“However, military action alone will not secure lasting stability in Nigeria. The real solution lies in combining targeted security operations with stronger border management, effective governance, disruption of terrorist financing, and the restoration of state authority in underserved communities,” he suggested, adding that terrorist groups thrive where governance is weak.
Pabor stated that sustainable security must focus on both defeating the threat and eliminating the conditions that allow it to regenerate.
“I am hopeful that if the Nigerian government explores the pros of this possibility, where intelligence, surveillance, border strengthening, etc., are shared with the common goal of combating terrorism, it will certainly be a conversation on the front burner,” he said.
Also, security expert, Matthew Ibadin, agreed with the assessment that most of the insecurity challenges are coming from the Sahel region.
This, he attributed to porous borders. According to him, the Nigerian border in the Sahel is porous, making it easy for the terrorists to migrate into the country.
He argued that even if all the country’s military might were deployed to the Sahel, they would not be able to contain the terrorists pouring into the country as a result of porous borders.
“It is time for the Nigerian government to fortify our borders and dismantle the current security architecture in the country.
“This is because we are operating under a single-digit security architecture, where the police are on the exclusive list. The federal government owns the police, so we have a centralised police force. It means that the federal government owns the army, navy, air and the police,” he pointed out.
He explained that it would be difficult to fix the security challenges without devolving power. According to him, that is the only way out of the quagmire.
Ibadin said: “We should allow state police by taking policing from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. Let state governments be able to formulate and undertake policing tasks in their states, so we can hold state governors accountable when there are issues in their states.
Arguing that the police can combat insecurity, Ibadin stressed that the police, if properly empowered, trained, and equipped, could do the job of fighting pervasive insecurity effectively.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has reportedly announced the closure of its ‘hijrah’ migration routes for foreign fighters, acknowledging that traditional entry corridors into Nigeria have become too dangerous due to sustained military operations by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Nigerian forces.
According to an intelligence report from security analysts covering the Lake Chad region, the terrorist group reportedly acknowledged that the routes, which have historically served as vital channels for the movement of fighters, weapons, supplies, and external support into insurgent-controlled territories, are now considered inaccessible.
Security sources described this development as evidence of increasing pressure on the group’s logistics infrastructure. The restriction on those corridors, they said, could complicate the terrorist organisation’s recruitment, logistics, and operational planning.
The closure of migration routes is believed to be the result of the intelligence-led strikes targeting ISWAP command structures and supply chains across Borno State and the wider Lake Chad region. Experts said this campaign should be sustained.
For a security analyst and digital communications expert, Deji Adesogan, the increasing shift of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts from the Middle East to Africa positions Nigeria as a key strategic partner in the fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
This development, he said, could enhance Nigeria’s security through improved intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and access to advanced technology, helping to combat Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other extremist groups.
“Improved security could also boost economic development by attracting investment, restoring agricultural activities, and promoting regional stability. However, Nigeria may also face increased terrorist threats as extremist groups adapt to growing pressure.
“To maximise the benefits, Nigeria must complement military operations with investments in technology, innovation, education, job creation, and good governance to address the root causes of extremism and build long-term national stability,” he said.
A security expert, Abubakar Sadeeq, said, “First, before development, there must be peace. In any situation where crises take the lead, development will be very, very scarce, because how do you even develop when there is no peace?”
Sadeeq blamed insecurity in Nigeria and in the Sahel on the former colonial master. He accused them of using insecurity to exploit the resources of Africa.
“You should know that without Africa’s resources, places like France cannot survive, places like Europe cannot survive. So, there must be crises. Those are factors that are creating this insecurity.
“And Libya is just a next-door neighbour where there was a crisis. And after the crisis, there was no proper resolution to cover the movement of arms. Those arms were deployed into some parts of Africa, here, Nigeria, to be precise.
“So, those are the major factors. And until we have those factors curtailed by having a serious strategy, bringing all security experts together to draft a strategy, of course, there will not be peace.
Bandits in north-west Nigeria abduct villagers they invited to discuss peace talks
Armed bandits in north-west Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on Monday, highlighting the region’s worsening security.
According to local police, 39 people were seized on Sunday during a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of north-west Zamfara state. But some residents and officials believe the number of those abducted could be as high as 50.
It is believed the victims were meeting the relatives of a bandit leader in the hope of bringing peace and easing restrictions imposed on the community.
“While the meeting was ongoing, the bandit kingpin allegedly arrived at the location with members of his gang and forcefully abducted 39 members of the group to an unknown destination,” a police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said in a statement on Monday.
The chair of the Maradun local government told a local newspaper that authorities in the state were not in support of reconciliation with bandits.
According to the chair, the bandits had recently blocked all roads leading to the community market to show their anger over the persistent killing of their members by security operatives.
He questioned why the community chose to meet the aggrieved bandits, who were seeking an opportunity to retaliate.
Zamfara is at the centre of a long-running security crisis in which armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, carry out mass kidnappings, killings and village raids. The violence has disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Individual negotiations with kidnappers have occurred to gain access to farmland or secure the release of abductees despite authorities warning against it.
Security forces have deployed personnel and intelligence assets to locate the victims, the police statement said. Several individuals were reported by local people to have been released to convey the kidnappers’ ransom demands to the village.
Bashar Aliyu, a resident of Magamin Diddi, said the armed group was demanding 125m naira (£69,000) for the release of those abducted.
Abubakar said security operatives were working to rescue the captives and had assured residents that every effort was being made to ensure the victims were rescued unharmed and the perpetrators were brought to justice.
Gunmen kidnap 7 students from school in northwestern Nigeria
According to local police, 39 people were seized on Sunday during a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of north-west Zamfara state. But some residents and officials believe the number of those abducted could be as high as 50.
It is believed the victims were meeting the relatives of a bandit leader in the hope of bringing peace and easing restrictions imposed on the community.
“While the meeting was ongoing, the bandit kingpin allegedly arrived at the location with members of his gang and forcefully abducted 39 members of the group to an unknown destination,” a police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said in a statement on Monday.
The chair of the Maradun local government told a local newspaper that authorities in the state were not in support of reconciliation with bandits.
According to the chair, the bandits had recently blocked all roads leading to the community market to show their anger over the persistent killing of their members by security operatives.
He questioned why the community chose to meet the aggrieved bandits, who were seeking an opportunity to retaliate.
Zamfara is at the centre of a long-running security crisis in which armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, carry out mass kidnappings, killings and village raids. The violence has disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Individual negotiations with kidnappers have occurred to gain access to farmland or secure the release of abductees despite authorities warning against it.
Security forces have deployed personnel and intelligence assets to locate the victims, the police statement said. Several individuals were reported by local people to have been released to convey the kidnappers’ ransom demands to the village.
Bashar Aliyu, a resident of Magamin Diddi, said the armed group was demanding 125m naira (£69,000) for the release of those abducted.
Abubakar said security operatives were working to rescue the captives and had assured residents that every effort was being made to ensure the victims were rescued unharmed and the perpetrators were brought to justice.
By Serena Richards, The Guardian
Nigeria launches coffee revival plan
According to various news reports, the Nigeria Coffee Revival Initiative (NCRI) – with the support of the federal government, farmers, state governments, research institutes, and private sector stakeholders – was unveiled at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan on Thursday 28 May.
The initiative will be cast across 14 coffee-producing states, with a shared goal of rebuilding Nigeria’s coffee industry through policy reforms, improved seedlings, farmer support, value addition, and private sector investment.
Representing the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Engr. Adetunji, Oyo State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), framed the initiative as a strategic economic intervention.
“Revitalising Nigeria’s coffee industry is a strategic imperative for sustainable economic growth, export development and climate resilience,” says Kyari.
By Meg Kennedy, Global Coffee Report
Monday, June 8, 2026
Army frees 360 people abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Borno state
The Nigerian army says it has secured the release of 360 people abducted by the Boko Haram armed group earlier this year in the country’s northeast.
The rescue operation unfolded in a Boko Haram stronghold in the south of Borno state, the military said in a statement on Sunday. Forces descended upon the Mandara mountains where Boko Haram fighters were holding hundreds of people “under harsh conditions”, it said.
Two infants “succumbed to exhaustion occasioned by the extremely challenging mountainous terrain” and the conditions they endured during captivity, army spokesperson Haruna Sani said.
“The remaining rescued abductees were successfully evacuated to safe locations for medical care and humanitarian support, marking a major operational success and a significant setback for the terrorist group,” Sani added.
The military statement said troops had gathered intelligence and used “psychological operations” to sow “mistrust within the insurgent ranks” before “the commencement of the assault phase”.
Several Boko Haram fighters fled into the surrounding mountains, while others surrendered, though the army did not say whether it completed arrests.
A local youth leader and Borno senator confirmed the release to the AFP news agency on Saturday, but said the group included more than 400 people.
Boko Haram had demanded millions of Nigerian naira in ransom for the captives.
Video - Teachers protest schoolchildren kidnappings in Nigeria
The rescue operation unfolded in a Boko Haram stronghold in the south of Borno state, the military said in a statement on Sunday. Forces descended upon the Mandara mountains where Boko Haram fighters were holding hundreds of people “under harsh conditions”, it said.
Two infants “succumbed to exhaustion occasioned by the extremely challenging mountainous terrain” and the conditions they endured during captivity, army spokesperson Haruna Sani said.
“The remaining rescued abductees were successfully evacuated to safe locations for medical care and humanitarian support, marking a major operational success and a significant setback for the terrorist group,” Sani added.
The military statement said troops had gathered intelligence and used “psychological operations” to sow “mistrust within the insurgent ranks” before “the commencement of the assault phase”.
Several Boko Haram fighters fled into the surrounding mountains, while others surrendered, though the army did not say whether it completed arrests.
A local youth leader and Borno senator confirmed the release to the AFP news agency on Saturday, but said the group included more than 400 people.
Boko Haram had demanded millions of Nigerian naira in ransom for the captives.
Growing insecurity
Borno state is the epicentre for armed groups, bandits and separatists driving northeastern Nigeria’s security crisis, which accelerated in 2009 when Boko Haram began its bloody attacks.
The group regularly carries out kidnappings and raised about $1.66m in ransom payments between July 2024 and June 2025, according to Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence.
In response, the Nigerian military has ramped up efforts to confront Boko Haram and its breakaway group, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Nigeria said a joint operation with the United States had killed 175 ISWAP fighters last month.
In mid-May, the Nigerian and US presidents announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command.
The fight led by Boko Haram and various armed groups has killed tens of thousands of people and forcibly displaced at least two million from their homes.
Borno state is the epicentre for armed groups, bandits and separatists driving northeastern Nigeria’s security crisis, which accelerated in 2009 when Boko Haram began its bloody attacks.
The group regularly carries out kidnappings and raised about $1.66m in ransom payments between July 2024 and June 2025, according to Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence.
In response, the Nigerian military has ramped up efforts to confront Boko Haram and its breakaway group, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Nigeria said a joint operation with the United States had killed 175 ISWAP fighters last month.
In mid-May, the Nigerian and US presidents announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command.
The fight led by Boko Haram and various armed groups has killed tens of thousands of people and forcibly displaced at least two million from their homes.
Related stories: Gunmen kidnap 7 students from school in northwestern Nigeria
Friday, June 5, 2026
Nigeria Ranks 5th Among Africa's Best-Performing Nations in 2026
Nigeria has emerged as the fifth-best performing country on the continent in the 2026 edition of the Africa Performance Index. Compiled jointly by Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, the ranking reflects the country's growing economic influence, robust innovation capacity, and regional importance, even as it navigates ongoing governance challenges.
The annual ranking, now in its second edition, evaluates African nations using a proprietary methodology that extends far beyond traditional economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Instead, it measures trajectories across three key pillars—governance, influence, and innovation—offering a broader, forward-looking assessment of how countries are positioning themselves for long-term growth and competitiveness.
The Continental Leaderboard
South Africa retained its position at the top of the index, maintaining a comfortable lead over its peers. The report attributed its first-place ranking to exceptional performances in the influence and innovation dimensions, supported by its strong academic and scientific ecosystem, deep diplomatic reach, entrepreneurial activity, and global platform membership in the BRICS bloc and the G20.
Mauritius moved into second place on the back of sustained institutional stability, an attractive business environment, and successful economic diversification.
Namibia emerged as the index's biggest riser, jumping from 15th place all the way to third. The southern African nation was rewarded for significant improvements in governance, infrastructure development, financial market performance, and tax collection.
Morocco ranked fourth, consolidating gains from years of targeted investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy, and sports development.
The Outlook for Nigeria
Similar to South Africa, Nigeria’s overall score was weighed down by domestic governance challenges, a falling GDP per capita over the reference period, and high debt levels. Despite these pressures, Nigeria locked in the number five spot because it remains an undisputed continental heavyweight. Its rank was heavily driven by the massive scale of its domestic market, its widespread cultural and diplomatic influence, and its high capacity for tech innovation.
The top ten is rounded out by Egypt in sixth, followed by Rwanda (7th), Ghana (8th), Côte d'Ivoire (9th), and Kenya (10th).
Ultimately, the 2026 data highlights a highly dynamic West African corridor. Fueled by the economic rivalry between Accra and Abidjan, alongside the sheer market scale of Nigeria, the sub-region is steadily cementing its status as one of the continent's most competitive and vital economic zones.
Dangote refinery raises throughput above nameplate capacity to 700,000bpd ahead of IPO
Nigeria's Dangote Petroleum Refinery has increased crude processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), exceeding its official nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd, according to company executives.
The refinery, Africa’s largest, said on Thursday (June 4) the achievement was confirmed during a performance test conducted by its process licensors, marking a milestone for the facility, which is also the world's largest single-train refinery.
Anthony Chiejina, head of corporate communications at Dangote Petroleum Refinery, said in a statement cied by state news agency NAN that the higher throughput demonstrated the strength of the refinery's engineering design and operational efficiency.
Speaking on the development, Devakumar Edwin, vice president for oil and gas at parent company Dangote Industries, confirmed plans to expand processing capacity to 1.4mn bpd within the next 30 months. This is part of a broader $40bn industrial expansion by the parent company spanning refining, fertiliser production and associated industries.
"The objective is to position the refinery among the largest refining complexes in the world," Edwin said is quoted as saying, adding that the expansion would enhance Nigeria's energy security, reduce dependence on imported fuels and strengthen the country’s role as an exporter of refined petroleum products. The plant this spring sharply increased exports across Africa after reaching full capacity, including cargoes to Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon and Togo.
Owned by Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, the refinery commenced fuel production in 2024 and has steadily increased output of petrol, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products. The facility currently supplies the domestic market and exports refined products across Africa and to international destinations including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
Edwin said the Nigeria refinery has also supplied gasoline cargoes to the United States and jet fuel to Saudi Arabia, helping establish its presence in international fuel markets.
According to Dangote, the rising production has also attracted growing interest from international crude suppliers and commodity traders, with feedstock sourced from both domestic and foreign producers.
The refinery's petrochemicals operations are also expected to support downstream manufacturing through supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), polypropylene and other industrial feedstocks. Future plans include production of linear alkylbenzene (LAB), a key raw material used in detergent manufacturing.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, owner of the refinery in Lagos, plans to list shares in the third quarter of 2026 at a valuation of between $40bn and $50bn, with the company proposing to sell a 5%-10% stake in the business. The company is considering a multi-exchange structure that would include the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and other African bourses.
Meanwhile, founder Aliko Dangote has said he is considering Kenya as the preferred location for a proposed 650,000 bpd refinery in East Africa, shifting focus away from an earlier plan centred on Tanzania.
He said the potential East African refinery would process crude from Uganda and other international suppliers, reducing regional dependence on imported refined petroleum products, adding that crude could be delivered by sea rather than relying solely on the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) linking Ugandan oilfields to Tanzania’s port of Tanga.
That planned 1,443-km export pipeline being developed by a consortium including TotalEnergies (EPA: TTE), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania. It is designed to transport crude from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to Tanzania’s port of Tanga for export.
The refinery, Africa’s largest, said on Thursday (June 4) the achievement was confirmed during a performance test conducted by its process licensors, marking a milestone for the facility, which is also the world's largest single-train refinery.
Anthony Chiejina, head of corporate communications at Dangote Petroleum Refinery, said in a statement cied by state news agency NAN that the higher throughput demonstrated the strength of the refinery's engineering design and operational efficiency.
Speaking on the development, Devakumar Edwin, vice president for oil and gas at parent company Dangote Industries, confirmed plans to expand processing capacity to 1.4mn bpd within the next 30 months. This is part of a broader $40bn industrial expansion by the parent company spanning refining, fertiliser production and associated industries.
"The objective is to position the refinery among the largest refining complexes in the world," Edwin said is quoted as saying, adding that the expansion would enhance Nigeria's energy security, reduce dependence on imported fuels and strengthen the country’s role as an exporter of refined petroleum products. The plant this spring sharply increased exports across Africa after reaching full capacity, including cargoes to Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon and Togo.
Owned by Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, the refinery commenced fuel production in 2024 and has steadily increased output of petrol, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products. The facility currently supplies the domestic market and exports refined products across Africa and to international destinations including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
Edwin said the Nigeria refinery has also supplied gasoline cargoes to the United States and jet fuel to Saudi Arabia, helping establish its presence in international fuel markets.
According to Dangote, the rising production has also attracted growing interest from international crude suppliers and commodity traders, with feedstock sourced from both domestic and foreign producers.
The refinery's petrochemicals operations are also expected to support downstream manufacturing through supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), polypropylene and other industrial feedstocks. Future plans include production of linear alkylbenzene (LAB), a key raw material used in detergent manufacturing.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, owner of the refinery in Lagos, plans to list shares in the third quarter of 2026 at a valuation of between $40bn and $50bn, with the company proposing to sell a 5%-10% stake in the business. The company is considering a multi-exchange structure that would include the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and other African bourses.
Meanwhile, founder Aliko Dangote has said he is considering Kenya as the preferred location for a proposed 650,000 bpd refinery in East Africa, shifting focus away from an earlier plan centred on Tanzania.
He said the potential East African refinery would process crude from Uganda and other international suppliers, reducing regional dependence on imported refined petroleum products, adding that crude could be delivered by sea rather than relying solely on the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) linking Ugandan oilfields to Tanzania’s port of Tanga.
That planned 1,443-km export pipeline being developed by a consortium including TotalEnergies (EPA: TTE), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania. It is designed to transport crude from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to Tanzania’s port of Tanga for export.
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Four sentenced to death for killing worshippers at Catholic church in Nigeria
A court in Nigeria has sentenced four men to death for attacking a church in the south-western Ondo state in 2022 in a case which sent shockwaves across the nation.
Forty-one worshippers were killed and more than 100 others injured when they opened fire at the St Francis Catholic church in the town of Owo during a Pentecost service.The court in the capital Abuja also sentenced the men - Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris - to 20 years in prison for belonging to a terrorist group.
Presidential assent is required before any death sentence is carried out in Nigeria. There have not been any executions in the country for several years.
Judge Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case, said the evidence presented against them was "neither shaken nor contradicted during cross examination".
He had ordered an accelerated hearing after the high-profile trial commenced in August 2025.
In his judgement, Justice Nwite said that the prosecution had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt as they had brought before the court witnesses who saw the attack, including one who testified to recognising two of the defendants as attackers.
"Hence this court finds the first to fourth defendants guilty of all nine counts," he added.
One of the witnesses the court heard from was a woman who had her legs amputated from the knees, and had lost her left eye as a result of a dynamite explosion which the attackers had detonated.
The nine counts included joining a terror group, and planning and carrying out killings.
Prosecutor Ayodeji Adedipe said: "Justice has been served, justice has been done to the deceased who were murdered in cold blood."
The men's defence lawyer said they would appeal against the sentence.
During the trial, the defendants said they had been tortured, including being hung from the ceiling, beaten countless times, and using electric shocks on their genitals.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence against him.
He was accused of having financed the attack, by allegedly receiving 800,000 naira (£440; $590) twice from another suspect - who is still at large - and then disbursing the funds to the attackers.
During cross examination, however, Abubakar said the money in his account was the proceeds of his farming business, as well as activities from his cooperative society. He denied that the four other defendants were beneficiaries of the money.
Since the Owo attack, Nigeria has witnessed many more attacks on churches across the country as it continues to grapple with rising insecurity.
US President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect its Christian population from jihadist attacks.
On Christmas Day, the US hit two camps run by a jihadist group in north-western Nigeria, and threatened more if attacks continued.
Claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating for some time in right-wing US circles, but organisations monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of the jihadist groups are Muslims.
The Nigerian government also denies that Christians are being persecuted in the country.
By Chukwunaeme Obiejesi, BBC
Gunmen kidnap 7 students from school in northwestern Nigeria
Gunmen raided an off-campus residence in northwest Nigeria and kidnapped seven students, police said.
The attack occurred early Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda area of conflict-battered Zamfara state, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar said in a statement. One of the students escaped and was in custody.
The police spokesman said it wasn’t clear where the students were taken but efforts were underway to rescue the remaining six.
Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country.
A tally by local news outlet Premium Times found that at least 1,900 students have been kidnapped from 20 schools since the 2014 mass abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state.
The attack occurred early Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda area of conflict-battered Zamfara state, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar said in a statement. One of the students escaped and was in custody.
The police spokesman said it wasn’t clear where the students were taken but efforts were underway to rescue the remaining six.
Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country.
A tally by local news outlet Premium Times found that at least 1,900 students have been kidnapped from 20 schools since the 2014 mass abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Video - Nigerian manufacturers struggle with rising electricity costs
Due to an unreliable power grid, many companies rely on alternative energy sources to keep their factories running. However, rising fuel and gas prices are further increasing operating costs and squeezing profitability. Some businesses have been forced to scale down production or suspend operations altogether.
Nigeria housing crisis looming as cement prices hit NGN15,000
The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) has warned of a looming housing crisis as soaring cement prices threaten national homeownership.
According to REDAN President Oba Akintoye Adeoye, a 50kg bag of cement has surged from NGN7500 (US$5.49) in late 2025 to between NGN11,500 (US$8.41) and NGN15,000 (US$10.97). This rapid spike is heavily disrupting construction projects and intensifying financial strain on developers already battling inflation and exchange-rate volatility.
According to REDAN President Oba Akintoye Adeoye, a 50kg bag of cement has surged from NGN7500 (US$5.49) in late 2025 to between NGN11,500 (US$8.41) and NGN15,000 (US$10.97). This rapid spike is heavily disrupting construction projects and intensifying financial strain on developers already battling inflation and exchange-rate volatility.
Because cement dictates overall construction costs, these current prices make housing delivery unsustainable.
REDAN is urgently calling for Federal Government intervention to stabilise the building materials value chain and protect ongoing developments.
REDAN is urgently calling for Federal Government intervention to stabilise the building materials value chain and protect ongoing developments.
Related story: Video - Nigeria housing crisis worsens amid rising costs
Religious divide in Nigeria worsens conflict during drought
Across the Sahel region, where many Fulani herders have historically lived, rising temperatures, drought and desertification have reduced grazing land. Now, pastoralists are increasingly driving their stock beyond traditional ranges and coming into conflict with sedentary farming communities.
The WZB Berlin Social Science Center has drawn on over two decades of data from across Nigeria to examine links between drought patterns, conflict incidents, and the religious composition of local communities.
Sociology professor Ruud Koopmans, who co-authored the study, said the data challenged the perception that climate change was the main driver of violence. Instead, he pointed to religious divisions as the decisive factor.
By Okeri Ngutjinazo, DW
The WZB Berlin Social Science Center has drawn on over two decades of data from across Nigeria to examine links between drought patterns, conflict incidents, and the religious composition of local communities.
Sociology professor Ruud Koopmans, who co-authored the study, said the data challenged the perception that climate change was the main driver of violence. Instead, he pointed to religious divisions as the decisive factor.
Religion influences violent conflict in Sahel
"Where these Muslim pastoralists meet farmers, who are in majority Christian, that is where we have the largest number of violent confrontations," says Koopmans, who is based at Berlin's Humboldt University.
He added: "Where there is this religious divide, the conflict is further exacerbated by droughts."
The Fulani are a primarily Muslim-cattle owning people that have historically lived across what is now Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and other West African nations. Many in Nigeria have adopted the Hausa language, and used to be far more nomadic than today. Depletion of cattle herds has led some Fulani to become sedentary.
In the past, Fulani herders and farming communities have suffered killings and property destruction during clashes.
Researchers used a survey in Kaduna State, north-western Nigeria, to establish that Christian respondents were more likely to attribute conflict over grazing lands to religious causes, and harbor greater distrust of Muslim Fulani. Meanwhile, Muslim respondents were more likely to cite droughts and competition for resources as the cause for conflict.
The researchers say similar dynamics could apply beyond Nigeria, including in parts of the Sahel where climate stress and social divisions overlap.
In their report, the researchers call for policies to address water and land management, but also for early warning systems and community-based conflict mediation in religiously mixed regions. Such measures,they suggest, could help to prevent environmental pressures from turning into violent conflict.
"Where these Muslim pastoralists meet farmers, who are in majority Christian, that is where we have the largest number of violent confrontations," says Koopmans, who is based at Berlin's Humboldt University.
He added: "Where there is this religious divide, the conflict is further exacerbated by droughts."
The Fulani are a primarily Muslim-cattle owning people that have historically lived across what is now Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and other West African nations. Many in Nigeria have adopted the Hausa language, and used to be far more nomadic than today. Depletion of cattle herds has led some Fulani to become sedentary.
In the past, Fulani herders and farming communities have suffered killings and property destruction during clashes.
Researchers used a survey in Kaduna State, north-western Nigeria, to establish that Christian respondents were more likely to attribute conflict over grazing lands to religious causes, and harbor greater distrust of Muslim Fulani. Meanwhile, Muslim respondents were more likely to cite droughts and competition for resources as the cause for conflict.
The researchers say similar dynamics could apply beyond Nigeria, including in parts of the Sahel where climate stress and social divisions overlap.
In their report, the researchers call for policies to address water and land management, but also for early warning systems and community-based conflict mediation in religiously mixed regions. Such measures,they suggest, could help to prevent environmental pressures from turning into violent conflict.
Religious tensions in northern Nigeria
According to Koopmans, religious tensions have intensified since the late 1990s. He cited the introduction of Sharia law in parts of northern Nigeria, resistance in regions such as Nigeria's Middle Belt, and the rise of the jihadist group Boko Haram as factors that had deepened mistrust between communities.
These developments, he argued, had also revived older historical fears, particularly among Christian communities.
Clashes were more likely in the Middle Belt,where Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities interacted, he said. Conflict is less likely in northern regions where pastoralists and sedentary communities are mostly Muslim.
According to the WZB study, shared religious identity can help limit escalation, with conflicting parties able to appeal to religious authorities respected by both sides, making dispute resolution more likely and reducing the risk of violence.
"When both nomads and farmers are Muslim, they are also more likely to respect common religious norms concerning property and the use of violence. There is a clear spiritual disbenefit associated with harming people who share the same faith," the study said.
According to Koopmans, religious tensions have intensified since the late 1990s. He cited the introduction of Sharia law in parts of northern Nigeria, resistance in regions such as Nigeria's Middle Belt, and the rise of the jihadist group Boko Haram as factors that had deepened mistrust between communities.
These developments, he argued, had also revived older historical fears, particularly among Christian communities.
Clashes were more likely in the Middle Belt,where Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities interacted, he said. Conflict is less likely in northern regions where pastoralists and sedentary communities are mostly Muslim.
According to the WZB study, shared religious identity can help limit escalation, with conflicting parties able to appeal to religious authorities respected by both sides, making dispute resolution more likely and reducing the risk of violence.
"When both nomads and farmers are Muslim, they are also more likely to respect common religious norms concerning property and the use of violence. There is a clear spiritual disbenefit associated with harming people who share the same faith," the study said.
Fulani militancy driving religious violence
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has identified armed Fulani groups as being among the most prominent non-state actors behind religious violence in Nigeria. It says an "estimated 30,000 Fulani militants" likely operate across Nigeria.
"While these militants do not share a centralized leadership, some collaborate on attacks," said the USCIRF, which added that violence linked to Fulani militants had caused more deaths among religious communities over the past year than attacks by insurgent groups or criminal gangs.
While many attacks have focused on Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt and increasingly in southern Nigeria, Muslim communities have also faced raids, killings and kidnappings.
The violence has contributed to mass displacement, with at least 1.3 million people in the Middle Belt forced into overcrowded and insecure camps. Kidnappings for ransom have also become a major tactic, with religious institutions often targeted.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has identified armed Fulani groups as being among the most prominent non-state actors behind religious violence in Nigeria. It says an "estimated 30,000 Fulani militants" likely operate across Nigeria.
"While these militants do not share a centralized leadership, some collaborate on attacks," said the USCIRF, which added that violence linked to Fulani militants had caused more deaths among religious communities over the past year than attacks by insurgent groups or criminal gangs.
While many attacks have focused on Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt and increasingly in southern Nigeria, Muslim communities have also faced raids, killings and kidnappings.
The violence has contributed to mass displacement, with at least 1.3 million people in the Middle Belt forced into overcrowded and insecure camps. Kidnappings for ransom have also become a major tactic, with religious institutions often targeted.
Calls for stronger security coordination in Nigeria
The legal expert and founder of the Abuja-based House of Justice, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, said the scale of the threat was difficult to independently verify due to a lack of verifiable information presented by Nigerian authorities.
She said this risked undermining public confidence and warned that conflicting messaging could fuel uncertainty and fear.
"These threats are real. It would help for the government to have a clear program and strategy around ensuring that the next set of recruits into terrorism are stopped," she told DW.
Wilson Inalegwu, a retired assistant inspector general of police, said that immediate efforts must combine force with better planning and coordination. He warned that attacks often spread across neighboring Nigerian states because authorities failed to anticipate patterns.
"Those in Kwara were not prepared. They thought it was a Niger problem. You go to Kwara State, those in Oyo State thought it was a Kwara problem. Now it is in Oyo. So, we must have a kind of very robust patrols along these areas," he told DW.
The legal expert and founder of the Abuja-based House of Justice, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, said the scale of the threat was difficult to independently verify due to a lack of verifiable information presented by Nigerian authorities.
She said this risked undermining public confidence and warned that conflicting messaging could fuel uncertainty and fear.
"These threats are real. It would help for the government to have a clear program and strategy around ensuring that the next set of recruits into terrorism are stopped," she told DW.
Wilson Inalegwu, a retired assistant inspector general of police, said that immediate efforts must combine force with better planning and coordination. He warned that attacks often spread across neighboring Nigerian states because authorities failed to anticipate patterns.
"Those in Kwara were not prepared. They thought it was a Niger problem. You go to Kwara State, those in Oyo State thought it was a Kwara problem. Now it is in Oyo. So, we must have a kind of very robust patrols along these areas," he told DW.
Video - Teachers protest schoolchildren kidnappings in Nigeria
Teachers protest schoolchildren kidnappings in Nigeria Teachers in major Nigerian cities Tuesday protested a string of kidnappings and attacks targeting schools by armed groups.
Related story: Video - Gunmen abduct students in Nigeria’s Oyo State
How large scale meth production in Nigeria poses new security risks
Nigeria’s long-standing reputation as a transit hub for international narcotics is undergoing a dark evolution. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) recent bust of an industrial-scale methamphetamine super-lab deep inside the Abidagba Forest marks a critical turning point: Nigeria is no longer just moving drugs—it is manufacturing them on a massive scale.
The raid yielded a staggering $363 million in seized narcotics and precursor chemicals, alongside the arrest of ten suspects, including three Mexican nationals.
The Tactical Shift to Ungoverned Spaces Between 2011 and 2016, the NDLEA dismantled at least 11 meth labs, but those were invariably tucked away in urban and peri-urban neighborhoods. The Abidagba Forest discovery represents a calculated geographic pivot by criminal syndicates into remote, poorly governed spaces. By retreating into southwestern forests, cartels are actively adapting to escape state surveillance, utilizing unmonitored border corridors to move product undetected.
A Troubling Convergence: Drugs and Terror This geographic shift places industrial drug production dangerously close to rising regional insecurity. The meth lab bust in the southwest coincided with the high-profile abduction of 46 students and teachers in neighboring Oyo State. While proximity doesn't automatically equal collaboration, historical data from West Africa shows that drug syndicates and militant groups frequently form partnerships of convenience—trading cash for logistics, funding, and protection.
The Transatlantic Footprint The presence of Mexican operatives points to a deeply worrying trend: the active transfer of specialized chemical expertise from Latin American cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, to local networks. This signals that international syndicates may be looking to consolidate West Africa as a primary manufacturing node rather than a mere pitstop.
An Urgent Security Imperative While the NDLEA’s bust is a major victory, it exposes massive vulnerabilities in Nigeria's border control and domestic security. Moving forward, reversing this trajectory will require:
Immigration Audits: Investigating how foreign cartel operatives entered the country and identifying local collaborators.
Tech-Driven Surveillance: Deploying drones and geospatial monitoring to track unusual developments in dense forested zones.
Community Intelligence: Partnering with local farmers, hunters, and traditional leaders who possess vital boots-on-the-ground awareness.
Without swift, inter-agency action, Nigeria risks cementing its position as a strategic hub in the global illicit drug economy—a development that would severely destabilize regional security.
Related story: Massive Drug Bust: Nigeria Smashes Meth Cartel and Captures Kingpin
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